“I’LL NEVER FORGET HOW YOU CHANGED MY LIFE” | Kilgore inducts Loper, Ganus, Henson & Ragin’ Red Broadcasting into Wall of Honor

EDITOR’S NOTE: Friday night, prior to its win over Lindale, Kilgore High School honored its 2024 class of Wall of Honor inductees: former football assistant coach Les Loper, the incomparable defensive guru for the Bulldogs; former athletic trainer Darrell “Red” Ganus, the first-ever trainer at KHS; longtime KISD school board member Reggie Henson; and the Ragin’ Red Broadcasting team, calling Kilgore football games since the early days of the Reagan Administration. Here, thanks to KHS Football Booster Club Marty Shelton, is the script from Kilgore’s honoring of those special individuals.

At this time, the Football Booster Club is proud to present four new members to the Kilgore High School Wall of Honor. The Wall of Honor is an athletics hall of fame for all sports and includes some of the brightest, most recognized athletes, coaches and contributors in the school’s history.

This year’s first inductee is Les Loper. Les started coaching career in Louisiana then came to Kilgore High School in 1995 where coached for 25 years. During his coaching career, coach won a state championship, was a two-time state finalist and won numerous district, area and regional championships.

The things Les most loved about coaching was the relationships with the kids and the comradery with other coaches. He was very blessed to be able to coach son Chad, then coach grandson Mason, then coach with Chad for last years of his career.

Les could not have done any of this without the help and support of his wife Tonia. He would also like to say thank you to his daughter, Lori, and son Chad for their sacrifices and support. Most of all he wants to thank God for His guidance, direction and grace.

The following tribute is from former Bulldog football player, Daniel Morris.

“My name is Daniel Morris and Les Loper changed my life. What better compliment can you say about someone than that? Melvin Leslie Loper, better known as Coach Les Loper, and I know he is rolling his eyes right now for saying his full name, changed my life. 

“Coach Loper taught me that a coach could be hard on you, demand your best, and love you as a person. Not only can a coach do this. He should. That changed my life, and made me want to be a coach. And for the 10 years I coached, I modeled my style after my ole linebacker coach. I wanted to be like him. 

“The first time Coach Loper changed my life was when I walked into the weight room and saw him repping out 315 pounds on the bench press. That changed me in two ways. I decided that day that I would one day be able to do that, no matter how hard I had to work. And it convinced me I would never do anything to be on Coach’s bad side. 

“The next time he changed my life was my senior year. Coach had a way of knowing what made his players tick. He challenged me when I had gotten a little complacent without realizing it. He lit fire under me, because I wanted to make him proud, and we went to work and had a great year.  I went on to play college football and without Coach Loper pushing me, I don’t think that happens. 

“Coach Loper and all the Kilgore staff changed my life on the day we laid my brother Matt to rest. They did that by showing up when it counts. Just be there for the people you love when they need you. That changed me. 

“The final time coach Loper changed my life was March 5, 2021, the day I laid my wife and son to rest after a tragic car accident. I was having to be strong for my daughter, and my family, and my church, and my community. I needed someone that could be strong for me and allow me to be weak for a moment. When Coach walked into the visitation, he gave me a big hug and told me he loved me and I fell apart in his arms. 

“I was being strong so everyone else could grieve. Coach lent me his strength so in that moment I could grieve. 

“I’ll never forget that, Coach. If this world was full of Les Loper’s we’d have a great world to live in. I’ll never forget how you changed my life. I love you forever. LBs for life.”

Here tonight with coach Loper is his wife Tonia, daughter Lori and husband Marty, son Chad and wife Courtney, grandsons Mason, CJ and Cooper, and granddaughters Shelby and Chloe.

Ladies and gentlemen – Les Loper.

The next inductee is Reggie Henson. Mr. Henson has been an avid supporter of youth sport programs for over twenty-five years. He has coached, mentored, shuttled, fed, housed and guided hundreds if not thousands of kids at some point during his time. “Coach Reggie’s” influence is apparent. He is now into the second generation of shaping our youth to be successful young men and women.

Mr. Henson’s support of Kilgore football is as consistent as anyone in the history of the program. He is a regular attender of practices and games. He has served in various capacities as a Booster from pulling the trailer, setting up the run through, making sure the on-field energy translates to the fans in the stands, and encouraging young men as they battle in the trenches on a Friday night. He has cooked thousands of burgers, tacos, hot dogs, wings, and anything else devised by the crew to feed our wonderful fans as they congregate pregame. Always there. Always serving. Always coaching. Always without fail.

Mr. Henson’s role in our community is a legacy that continues to build. He has served on the KISD school board for several terms as the district has evolved and grown. His steady hand has bridged the gap between trustee and community with great consistency, all the while working multiple jobs, day and night, to ensure he could support his family.

“Coach Reggie” Henson is the epitome of what makes our community so beautiful. His influence was never more apparent than at his son Adrian’s wedding. Each groomsman was influenced by Mr. Henson in the ways I described earlier. And yet, his greatest legacy is that of husband and father. His wife, Sandra is a remarkable wife and mother who has served as Mr. Henson’s partner in raising four children: Lakisha, Daytrian, Adrian and Sarah. The Henson family serves as a great model for all of us to emulate.

Ladies and gentlemen – Reggie Henson.

The next inductee is Darrell “Red” Ganus. Red came to Kilgore ISD in the Summer of 1999.  He became the first athletic trainer hired by KISD and served in that role for 22 years. Red oversaw the sports medicine for all athletics and was most proud of his student athletic trainers and the assistant athletic trainers he was fortunate to work with.

Red was active in the sports medicine community, serving two consecutive terms as the Regional Director and Vice Charman of the Texas State Athletic Trainers Association as well as a term on the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation Advisory Board of Athletic Trainers. 

Red has been honored to receive recognition from numerous organizations, but by far, Red’s proudest accomplishments have to be his wife, Lisa, for over 30 years and his two daughters, Courtney Fox, class of 2014, and Carley Ganus, class of 2019.

Both have gone on to complete two degrees and start successful lives of their own. His favorite memory has to be the 2013 state championship game where he shared the field with both of his girls at AT&T Stadium.

Kilgore has been home for most of Red’s life. From the oil fields of West Texas to the World’s Richest Acre, Red was obviously meant to work at schools where hard work and perseverance were instilled.  Thanks to Mr. Jerry Roberts, the former KISD superintendent, as well as coach and athletic director Mike Vallery, girls coordinator and coach Doug Duke, and longtime KISD board chair Terry George, along with the rest of the KISD school board for allowing Red to come here and start something from scratch.

Thanks to the community and the parents of Kilgore for allowing him to care for and watch over your athletes. It has truly been an honor to work here and build one of the premier athletic training programs in the state of Texas.

Now, the most important recognition of all, Lisa, Red’s loving wife, Courtney, first born and her husband Bryant, and Carley, the baby.  Many sacrifices were made by you for him to pursue this career and to do it the way he thought it had to be done. In hindsight, there are many things he would go back and do differently, but nothing beats the hugs after the game, the tears after the losses, sharing the field at AT&T Stadium with you all.

The long nights, the cold, rainy weather, the hot muggy days, the many miles travelled.  You are the ones who are being recognized today, not Red.  It is because you allowed him to do this job that this plaque will hang in the foyer.  Thank you from the bottom of his heart.  You are most loved.

Thank you, Kilgore, for all of the memories. Red wouldn’t change a thing! Thank you for honoring Darrell “Red” Ganus as a Wall of Honor inductee.

Ladies and gentlemen – Red Ganus.

Tonight’s final inductee is Ragin’ Red Broadcasting.

Forty-threeyears ago, a long time. Right. That is when the Ragin” Red Broadcasting team tarted broadcasting Kilgore High School football.

They started on one radio station, 1240-AM, with a metal rotary phone.

How things have changed since then. They are now on six radio stations that are KDOK affiliates, two cable TV stations, YouTubeTV and on the worldwide web. During this transition, they have seen a lot of great football. They have witnessed and broadcasted some noteworthy players like Nick Sanders, Jamar Toombs, Adrian Peterson, Matthew Stafford just to name a few. They have been here through seven head coaches and for over 500games.

Doug Smith said his most memorable moment was the state championship in 2004.  “It was a double blessing not only to be broadcasting it but to also be the board president and receive the state title trophy.”

Don Hedrick remembers having to do everything imaginable sometimes just to get on the air. Like tapping a payphone and running a 1,000 feet of phone wire, and having to use a party line in Sulphur Springs.

Jason Smith said even though we lost the game, playing in the state title in 2013 against Carthage was great to broadcast from AT&T stadium. “What a privilege to be able to do that.”https://www.austinbank.com/

Doug says one of the most humbling things is that on Friday night we get to bring games to thousands of listeners all over the USA. “Then to have KHS alumni email and text us how much they appreciate the broadcasts that allows them to keep up with their old high school from anywhere in the world.”

One more item to bring perspective to these 43 years of broadcasting is that current head coach Clint Fuller is only 38 years old.  “It’s amazing they have been doing it that long,” coach Fuller said. “They really love Kilgore football, and we are grateful for all they do for us.”

Ladies and gentlemen, Ragin’ Red Broadcasting.

And that concludes our 2024 Wall of Honor induction ceremony.